Transportation Planning

About Transportation Planning
Transportation planning in Frederick County was initiated in 1959 with the adoption of the county's 1st Land Use and Master Highway Plan. These plans have gone through subsequent updates in 1972 and 1984. From 1984 to 2008 the highway plans were addressed as part of 8 region plans. In 2010 a new County Comprehensive Plan was adopted with a countywide land use and highway plan. The highway plan identifies the functional classification of the roads (i.e. Interstate, arterial, collector or local classification) and also identifies the location/alignment of new roads. The road classifications and new road alignments together with 20-year land use plans form the basis for identifying needed road improvements.

Collaborative Effort & Coordination
The Community Development Division works with a number of local, state, and regional agencies to identify transportation needs and priorities. The Community Development Division coordinates its planning work with the Division of Public Works (DPW), which is the implementing agency for county road improvements. Coordination is also conducted with the county's 12 municipalities to ensure that the individual municipal land use and transportation plans are consistent with the county's plans.

At the state level, the county works closely with the State Highway Administration (SHA) and the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) to plan and implement highway and transit projects in the county. Frederick County is a member of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), which is a regional planning agency responsible for directing and coordinating the transportation planning process for the Washington metropolitan area.